


Fall

by xforesttree



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Autumn, BAMF!Cas, Canon Compliant, Coffee, Confession, Destiel - Freeform, Dreams, Entering Dreams, Fallen Angel, Fluff, Foreshadowing, Gay Panic, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Holding Hands, Hypnos - Freeform, M/M, Making Out, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Miscommunication, Other, Slow Build Castiel/Dean Winchester, angel power, destiel cuteness, fall - Freeform, forest, green an blue, grumpy!sam, saileen?, scenery, season 12
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-08-15 04:39:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8042899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xforesttree/pseuds/xforesttree
Summary: Cas likes to watch Dean's dreams now that he has his mojo back. He enjoys the scenery, but this time he's a part of it. Things happen that he never expected both from Dean as from him.





	1. Blue and Green

Dean was zoned out to the familiar humming of the Impala and the feeling of asphalt under her tires. The sun cast a dull glow over the empty forest road, just enough to make for a pleasant dusk drive on this late summer day. There was no destination, no goal, only Baby and an endless road on a perfect evening. This was perhaps his favourite kind of dream. Well... second favourite.   
  
A smile tugged at his lips as he heard the familiar rock music become scrambled by static. It had just turned into his favourite. With the flutter of his wings, an angel in a trench coat appeared in the passenger seat. Dean turned his head to meet the blue eyes he loved drowning in. He could feel his heart skip a beat as Castiel said 'Hello Dean' in that deep heartfelt tone of his.   
  
He wouldn't tell a soul, but he could swear he saw Cas' halo glowing against the occasional ray of sunlight that escaped the trees' thinning deck of brightly coloured leaves. Dean shook his head and grinned stupidly at his dash. 

"Hey, buddy." He spoke softly and grabbed Cas' hand in his own. It took a lot of control not to laugh at the angel's usual confused frown.   
  
What he wouldn't give for this to be real. How long had it been since he’d started dreaming about Castiel? How long had he, even in his dreams, refused to admit what he longed for? If only he had the courage to tell him, in the real world where... he wasn't sure his feelings were reciprocated. He wasn't deaf, he knew what people around them said, but still... He was secretly so afraid of being wrong.   
  
"Hey Cas, there's something I want to tell you." Dean started, stumbling over his words. Cas remained silent and nodded encouragingly. "You remember that time in the crypt, where you said I snapped you out of your brainwashing?"   
  
The muscles in Cas' face tensed as the memory brought forth an expression of pain mixed with a sad fondness. "Every last second. I'll never forget what Naomi almost made me do." Cas squeezed Dean's hand subconsciously. A small gasp escaped the hunter's lips. After so many happy endings in his dreams, he was still so sensitive to his angel's touch. "What about it, Dean?"   
  
It took a few seconds for Dean to snap back into action. What had he been saying again? "Ah, yes, uhm... I said that you were family and that we-I needed you..." Cas looked at him expectantly, almost like a puppy with those eyes. "The thing is, all I really wanted to say was..." The last few words got stuck in his throat, and he bit his lip in frustration.   
  
Dean pulled over the Impala when they passed a look-out bay watching over the valley. The sudden break in the forest gave way to hills of long pale grass with a view of the unruly distant ocean. They exited the car and leaned against her. Their hands lingered when they pulled away and quickly found each other again on the hood of Baby.   


 

* * *

 

As Dean remained silent, Castiel took in the beautiful world the hunter had created in his dream. He concluded it was a lucid dream, considering how convenient this stop had approached, just as Dean needed a place to talk.   
  
Visiting dreams was nothing new to the angel, but he was still overwhelmed every time. Humans imagined such vividly detailed things and that while resting. It was hard not to notice the symbolism, the reference to the individual's life. It was tempting to surrender to the fantasy. He enjoyed journeying other's dreams more than he ever did his own when he was human. They had been nightmares and the foreign process of falling asleep left him more exhausted than the scarce hours could ever make up for. No, he felt much more comfortable in the safety of someone else's dream. He could leave at any given time.   
  
With Dean it was different, he had to push himself to leave before Dean woke up. Their relationship was already complex enough to have to explain himself standing in his room in the morning. It was more than inappropriate to intrude on his friend's dreams and he'd surely ward his room if he found out.   
  
He looked for any way to comfort the hunter, encourage him to speak somehow. He cursed his lack of human skills for the 3784th time. The only word he found was "Dean?". His eyes scanned Dean's soul until those forest green eyes found his. The expression on the hunter's face was one Cas did not understand. There was a cold fear in Dean's eyes as well as a fire brighter than he'd ever seen him have. Dean couldn't stop licking his lips as though the words would flow out easier that way.   
  
Cas kept studying him, brows furrowed, eyes squinting. He was so focused that he didn't notice Dean closing the distance between them until his warm lips were on his. He froze in confusion. What threw him off wasn't kissing, it wasn't even kissing Dean. How hungrily he kissed back after the initial moment of shock didn't make any sense, did it?

 

* * *

 

Dean ran his hand through Cas' messy hair and slowly pulled the angel away. They'd kissed so many times in his dreams, yet somehow this felt different, purer. They were both out of breath when they managed to restrain themselves from touching. The angel looked at him as though he'd found everything he had believed in was a lie. His hair was much like it had been in their early days and his tie had almost escaped his neck.   
  
Under his breath and smiling like an idiot Dean muttered, "I love you. I have for so long. That-that's why I looked for you in purgatory. Not because you're an angel, but because you're you." It took a few seconds for him to gather the courage to gauge Cas' reaction. Unlike usual, his face was spilling emotions, all sense of composure lost. It was a sight to behold.   


 

* * *

 

They were both surprised when Cas pulled Dean into a tight embrace, whispered "I love you too.", then escaped Dean's dream when he realised what he said, leaving Dean cold and alone. Cas knew he’d left both their feelings in turmoil.   
  
His feet couldn't support him when he returned to the waking world. Right now, he missed the times before Metatron and his fall when he could access dreams from any distance. He couldn't be here when Dean... Not when he wakes up and puts 2 and 2 together.   
  
_ What on earth had just happened? _ He thought and with that a spitfire of questions went searing through his mind. Had Dean been aware he wasn't part of the dream? Did it matter? Why had he said it too? How long had the hunter felt this way? How long had he felt this way? What should he do? A relationship between and angel and a human is frowned upon, yet it wouldn't be the first time he broke the laws of heaven for Dean....   
  
If Cas had had his wings he'd have flown halfway across the globe, but for now, all he could do was jump in his car and drive.... Just drive.


	2. Brown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam is the one to deal with the aftermath of last night's events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the chapter is finally complete! I hope you enjoy the final product and are able to wait until my major deadlines pass before I roll out the next chapter (sorry). Just check my twitter for updates on my progress ;) @xforesttree

Sam strolled into the kitchen, still in pyjamas. He turned on the coffee machine and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a yawn. His bare feet on the cold floor made him impatient to sit down and scan the news for a job. They'd been dormant for some weeks now. No matter how much they deserved a holiday, there was this itch to keep hunting. Killing every evil son of a bitch we can find, as Dean liked to say. The memory drew a smirk on his face while the bittersweet nostalgia quickly washed it away.  
  
The machine finished with a final sputter and the following silence felt hollow. Sam took a cup from the filled cupboard. He carefully sipped his drink, the aroma was a welcome and comforting smell. Then, he seated himself on Dean's unmoved chair and began looking for an old stain to place his morning caffeine intake on, glad for the lack of the usual crumbs.  
  
It was all routine until he'd found nothing but ordinary things in the newspaper and got up to grab his breakfast. When he opened the fridge to look for his "rabbit food" he paused. With the first kick of caffeine coursing its way through his veins he felt a sense of alarm burning at the sight of the full six pack of beers. His instincts kicked into overdrive, any fatigue left pushed to the back of his mind. Though it might be nothing years as a hunter taught him to be wary of anything out of place.

Sam started searching the bunker for his brother, telling himself he might just be sleeping in for once. However, Dean’s room was left empty with sheets thrown aside and the stale smell of sweat poignant in the air. The next logical place had a much more pleasant and milder lavender scent. The faint humidity implied it hadn’t been too long ago that his brother showered. Growing more suspicious as he traced the leads Sam found himself grabbing his .45 from the weapons room.

He searched the rest of the bunker with the gun at his side, turning up with nothing but lonely hallways. When he crossed the war room towards the library a chaos of lore books strewn about the room and stacked haphazardly on the tables wasn't what he'd expected to find. Sam scanned the titles and the pages of the sole open book and muttered, “This can’t get any weirder.”

Just then, the familiar sound of the steel vault door opening followed by fast paced footsteps down the metal stairs had Sam train his gun at Dean who hardly acknowledged the fact. His hair was dishevelled and his blue and green plaid shirt buttoned up incorrectly. Sam merely lowered the .45 and stared at his brother, waiting for an explanation. Dean simply started patting down his jeans and shirt, only to curse to himself.

 

“Sammy, ‘ve you seen Baby’s keys anywhere?” Dean asked, glancing towards the open book and his expression turning grim.

 

“No-”Sam replied confused, having caught the slight shift before asking, “Dean, what’s going on, are you alright?”

 

Dean simply headed towards the kitchen, his brother on his heels and mumbled, “If that bastard took them…” then clenched his fists.

 

“Dean, look at me,” Sam demanded and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “What are you talking about? Does this have to with whatever crazy dream you had?”

 

Dean’s eyes seemed to spew fire at the mention of dreams. “I’m fine Sam,” Dean growled through his teeth and flicked off his brother’s hand. “So quit nagging me and go find us a hunt or something. Hell, find yourself a girl, when was the last time you got laid?” He continued, still seething and heading towards the sleeping quarters.

 

“You haven’t eaten or had coffee, you dove into research without even a drop of alcohol, you look like a mess and now you’re itching to drive off somewhere. That doesn’t sound like you’re okay at all.” Sam yelled after his brother knowing he would hear.

  
It wasn’t long before he heard a door slam and Dean walk through the halls with jangling keys. He seemed to make sure not to pass by the kitchen where Sam had remained, defeated. With his hands in his hair, he replayed every conversation and interaction he’d had with his brother in the past few days, trying to find anything that could have upset Dean. He found nothing but domestic bliss with him and Cas…

Cas? He hadn’t seen the angel since he’d left him researching the appropriate use of smileys last night. _Maybe Cas would know more_ , he thought and set out for the room Cas used to “sleep” in. Unlike Dean’s room it hadn’t been abandoned in the rush of a nightmare, instead, it was methodically neat. It didn’t seem recently used, but very much inhabited because of the sheer amount of personal effects. Sam smirked at how Cas had probably drawn the inspiration from Dean’s room yet somehow completely made it, well, Cas-ish.

 

Regardless, Cas wasn’t home which was not unusual yet seemed suspiciously related to whatever was going on with Dean. Normally when Cas went out he’d tell them, leave a note or a text. _What on earth happened between these two_ , Sam mouthed and sipped his coffee.

  
With no other leads to go on Sam returned to study the books Dean had poured his caffeine-less sober energy into finding. He found books on greek mythology and the Oneiroi, gods of dreaming as well as Norse poems and writing off prophetic dreams. In particular, the name Morpheus appeared often. He was the son of Hypnos, messenger of dreams and brother of Phobetor who caused nightmares. _It had been a while since they tangled with non-biblical gods..._

* * *

 

His second cup of coffee was empty by the time the vault door opened once again and Sam called out, “Dean, did you piss off some Greek-” stopping mid-sentence when instead of steel-toed boots and jeans, oxfords and the pants to a two-piece suit appeared in view. “-Cas.” Sam uttered as the angel reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Sam.” Cas greeted and nodded, before frowning and asked: “What did Dean do to the Greeks?”

Sam couldn’t help but smirk. “Greek gods actually, Hypnos or his son Morpheus. At least that’s what he was frantically researching this morning.”

The angel froze and Sam could almost see the cogs turning in his head. Cas’ face twisted into a grimace and he grabbed the table to steady himself. Sam immediately shifted gears and jumped up from his chair.

“Woah Cas, are you alright?” He urged and sped to Cas’ side.

Cas let the younger hunter support him, seemingly unfazed by the state he was in.“You can rest assured, Dean is not in any immediate danger.” He said weakly, his wild gestures requiring Sam to keep him balanced. The angel took a breath, closed his eyes, and steadied himself before he continued more confidently “Even if it were the most capable of Somnus, he is merely a messenger.”

“You know what’s going on then?” Sam buzzed, tensed muscles easing slightly.

“Yes,” Cas deadpanned and shrugged off Sam’s hold. They stood in silence for a while, Sam hoping that Cas would explain and Cas hoping Sam wouldn’t ask.

Cas was the first to speak, asking, “When did Dean leave?” without meeting Sam’s eyes.

Sam was caught off guard at that but imagined Cas figured Dean had left from what he had said when he came in. Avoiding important topics was yet another skill he wished the angel wouldn’t have learned from Dean. Well, he couldn’t say he wasn’t an expert at it either.

“Must have been an hour or two ago, but Cas don’t-” Cas had already walked out the room before Sam could even voice his disapproval and huffed in annoyance. Why he ever thought he could convince the two most stubborn people he knows to be open about things, he doesn’t remember.

He knew chasing Cas down wouldn’t amount to anything and instead trusted him to handle whatever it was that Dean struggled with and set to shelving the lore books. Some of these he’d never picked up before so soon he found himself enjoying a book on the myths of the Nords and their “seers”.

* * *

 

His phone buzzed and he was surprised to find a text from Eileen asking if he could help her out on a hunt one state over. He considered saying no, so he could be there when Dean and Cas inevitably returned but instead decided he deserved some time off from their drama and prepared his hotwire kit. After all, Dean took the Impala and Cas took his pimp car...

**Author's Note:**

> If you see this then this little story still isn't finished, I'm sorry. You can check my tumblr (oceanblue-and-forestgreen) or twitter (xforesttree) for when the next update is coming out and the overall progress


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